The invention is in the field of plectrums, or “picks”, for stringed musical instruments, and more particularly a die-cut, snap away pick for guitars and other stringed musical instruments that can be easily detached from a card, sheet, strip and the like.
Many stringed instruments such as guitars, mandolins, basses are played with picks, which consist of small generally flat pieces of material that are usually (but not always) flexible. Picks come in many sizes and are made of many kinds of materials including plastics (e.g. PVC, acetal polyoxymethylene (POM) resins (i.e. Delrin®), Nylon, etc), shell, metal, stone, wood, paper, composite materials, and other materials. Picks are manufactured in a variety of thicknesses and stiffnesses, depending on a user's preferences. Picks are often shaped to have one or more rounded points, and can have a generally ogive shape at one or more ends. Picks come in numerous colors and can have graphics appearing thereon. Indeed, picks are collected by musicians and non-musicians alike.
Picks are often displayed at music stores in bulk in plastic bags, in open containers, displayed on paper displays, and the like.
Although picks can last a long time, they are frequently lost or misplaced, and users may wish to use different picks for different songs, instruments and conditions. Lacking a proper pick, a musician can improvise and use another object, such as a coin, as a pick if required. It would be useful for musicians to have a convenient way to carry extra picks so that they are available anytime and any place.
Comfort in use and slip resistance are two additional important factors in choosing picks, and it would therefore be desirable to have picks that are comfortable to hold and which do not have any sharp edges, and also picks which are designed to be firmly gripped without slipping or sliding in the fingers.
It would also be useful to provide a readily accessible supply of picks to musicians during performances that can easily be taken when needed, yet will not be misplaced or lost.